


Temporarily Friday

by sweetiejelly



Series: Temporarily Friday [1]
Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angsty Schmoop, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-30
Updated: 2011-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-28 12:35:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/307932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiejelly/pseuds/sweetiejelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Noah is a rentboy who finds a wallet...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Previously posted [at my LJ](http://sweetiejelly.livejournal.com/tag/series%3A%20temporarily%20friday).

Noah kept his head down. He always did on the mornings after. He kept his head down and walked out of the hotel room, out through long hallways, down to the elevator. His mantra washed over him as he waited, hands in pockets, nails hard against his palms. _Just a job. Temporary. Just a job. Temporary…_ Only, it’s been temporary for three years now. He tried not to think about that part.

When the elevator sounded its sharp ping, it was a welcome distraction. Noah sighed as doors groaned apart. Elevators knew what it was like to serve, emotionless. They knew what it was like allowing strangers to crowd inside and touch all over, stop when asked and open when commanded. They knew and Noah liked that. He liked elevators a lot. Sometimes he saw himself on their skin inside, mirroring back the lonely, the sad and the tired.

He was so very tired. It was only by chance that he twisted his neck to the right and spotted it. Couldn’t be. Was this it? Was this his ticket to freedom? Noah licked his lips and crouched, picking up the soft brown wrap of a wallet. It was engraved: “LS.” Then the elevator pinged its warning and Noah stuffed the find fast into his jacket. A maid moved inside, pushing her cart of cleaning supplies.

Noah didn’t think any amount of cleaning was going to absolve his guilt. His heart thundered on yes and pelted on no. He was emphatically _not_ a thief. But he was also emphatically starving and poor and desperate for a way out. _Just a job. Temporary._ He swallowed and almost laughed at himself. The wallet could be empty of any cash for all he knew. And here he was already debating angel and devil as if he’d hit the jackpot. No, no, it was too soon to rejoice. It was always too soon to rejoice.

Noah clutched tight to the parcel until he reached home, such as it was. There on the broken mattress, lumpy as twice burnt oatmeal, he laid down the weight. _LS,_ it said. _I belong to LS._ Noah ignored the voice and opened the wallet. His nimble fingers flipped through the compartments, tallying the worth. At a thousand, his hand slipped on the money. At three, he slipped to the floor. “Oh my God.” The bare whisper was muffled by the fan of green at his lips. “Oh my God.” He looked to his modest stack of movies – the only things keeping him afloat these days – and made a decision.

At least he thought he knew which one it had to be until he landed on the pictures of the children – two young girls, a younger boy, and an older one who looked to be about his age. He stared at that last the longest. Beautiful blond hair, big brown eyes, and the prettiest dimples he’d ever seen. Noah’s breath caught. Hands shaking, he dialed the number he hoped was right.

One ring. Two ring. Three rings. His heartbeat sounded irregular. _Like a thief’s._ Noah closed his eyes. He was not having this conversation with himself again.

Mid-ring through the fifth, the sound mercifully cut off. “Lily Snyder,” a harried voice answered. It sounded both tough and soft, just like the leather of the wallet. LS.

“Ms. Snyder,” Noah cleared his throat. “Hi. I was at the Lakeview this morning –”

“I’m sorry,” the woman interrupted. “Can you hold on one second? I’m going to transfer you to a Lisa Grimaldi. She’s the co-owner of the Lakeview and she will take care of _any_ questions you may have.”

A beep sounded before Noah could even breathe. _Wait, what?_ But then a patient voice was in his ear. “You’ve reached the Lakeview! This is Lisa Grimaldi. How may I help you today?”

“I’m sorry,” Noah stared down at the cash and the pictures scattered across his bed. “I’m sorry. I was trying to reach Ms. Snyder. I-”

“Oh!” The sweet voice crooned over the line like a grandmother he wished he had. “Everybody’s looking for Lily today! Oh honey, she seemed to have lost her wallet, and she’s about to go out of her mind.”

With that segue, Noah spoke up quickly, “I understand…”

But again the Oakdale women seemed quicker with their words. “Oh no, honey. You can’t possibly.” The voice lowered. “Poor Lily. She had the first installment of the ransom money ready and _everything_! Her son, you see, had been kidnapped.”

Noah’s eyes darted to the spread of photos, heart pounding in his chest. “The little one?” Silently, he cursed himself for wishing it was some innocent child instead of Mr. Dimples.

“Ethan? Oh, no. He’s fine! It’s his big brother Luke.” Ms. Grimaldi sighed. “So, you see, young man, Lily simply can’t come to the phone right now. Is there anything that _I_ can help you with?”

Noah scanned the peeling paint and the large circles of rain damage on the ceiling, wider now from the recent storms. “That’s ok. I will try Mrs. Snyder later. Thank you.”

He picked up the photo of one Luke Snyder, Mr. Gorgeous Dimples. _You’re just as trapped_ , he thought. _Temporarily anyway._ Noah put down the photo and set to gathering the contents of the wallet back in place. Meticulously, he slipped each photo in its slot, careful not to bend the edges. But holding Luke’s snapshot, he faltered. He didn’t want to give _this_ back. The grin the blond gave the camera made him smile in a way that he hadn’t smiled in a long time. It was almost foreign, this involuntary tug against lips. _Temporarily anyway._ Then Noah remembered that the blond was no longer in a happy place. He wasn’t grinning wherever he was now. Noah could relate to that.

He was still holding onto the photo when he got a call for his very temporary job. “Come for a round with your favorite master.” Noah let the picture fall.


	2. Chapter 2

Every rise of the whip made him blink fast over salty eyes. Noah wanted nothing more than to run back home, take the money and escape. Anywhere but here would do. Maybe he could move to California, sign up for film classes. Maybe one day his films will be made. He had so many in his head. During a job, he would play one over and over, refining angles or lighting, how a character would rush forth full of passion or keep deceptively calm but for the tick in the neck, the half blink.

But the only image in his head today was of the blond in the picture, Luke. Kidnapped, they had said. Noah wondered where Luke was now, if that place was as dark as this basement. His director’s mind took over. The room would be windowless, airless, a claustrophobic’s nightmare. There would be no light except for the glimmer bouncing off of the duct tape over Luke’s mouth and off of the gun in the captor’s hand. When the camera zoomed in on the face, Luke’s eyes would be hard brown, fierce as a tiger glaring down prey. _Hang on_ , Noah thought. _Hang on. We’ll both make it yet. This is only temporary. Then we’ll get our arms back, our mouths back, get our voices back. We’ll get ourselves back._

The john, whose name was actually John, finally got off, moaning his throaty approval. And for that, Noah was grateful. Whenever it was over, it was the greatest relief. He wanted to clean up, get dressed, and go home. But then John’s arms wrapped gently over him. It was the greatest contradiction, from whips to this, that Noah still got disoriented sometimes. He kept absolutely still, waiting for the john to snap out of his post orgasmic tenderness. He almost preferred the whips. At least they were honest about what this was: sex, just sex, and rough sex at that. There was nothing tendered but money.

Money was what he went home to. The wallet sat in the middle of his bed like spot of dried blood. He faced away from it as he bit into his sandwich. Relentlessly, he shoved in French fry after French fry. Coke, big gulps of it, followed to wash it all down. He wasn’t ready for the other kind of salty wetness. His father, if the man can be called that, had always told him real men didn’t cry. Noah knew better. There were the men who came to him. Some of them cried out more than pleasure, more than O’s. Some of them cried honest salt. They just wanted to forget, just wanted to shed some pain, maybe give them to him. Noah knew how to shake these off by now. He did. Anyway, he knew how to give away pain too, in the dark of the night, biting into the valley of his mattress, drowning unfortunate bed mites.

With one last swallow, Noah threw away the lunch wrappers. He’d been on the job for far too long. He hadn’t slept in almost two days. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the bed, careful to avoid the picture of the blond, smiling, smiling like everything will be ok.

Noah’s sleep proved fitful, laced with images of the blond. Luke gasping as the duct tape was ripped off of him. Luke grimacing, turning his lips away. Luke still bound, strains of no-no-no echoing in the airless space. Those eyes bore into his, “Help me.” Noah woke up with a start. If this wasn’t a sign of what he should do, he didn’t know what was.

Hurriedly, he fumbled for his cell. Hitting the same ten digits as this morning, he waited through the tortuous rings. “Lily Snyder,” the same harried voice answered.

“Mrs. Snyder. Please don’t transfer me again,” he hurried to spit out. “I found your wallet this morning.” A gasp sounded at the other end. But Noah continued on. He had to say all of this before he changed his mind. He couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t carry anymore guilt. “I would really like to return it to you. Please, just let me know where to drop it off and I will. And I-I don’t need anything in return for it really. Just – I need to return your wallet.”

She waved off his blabbering, thanking him and giving him directions to her house. “And… I’m sorry, what was your name?”

Noah debated giving her his rented name - Friday. Who wouldn’t pay for Friday, right? Many of his customers started because of that, stayed because of how good he was bullshitting his way into their good graces. But the warm tone at the other end made him tell the truth. He was already in _her_ good graces. “Noah.”

“Noah,” Lily repeated. “Noah – thank you so much. Really. You have no idea _how_ much.”

Noah thought maybe he had a slight clue. As quickly as he could, he showered, chasing down paths of soap with tepid rivulets. Then he was out the door, the wallet sheltered safe in his jacket. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. But he wasn’t expecting the mansion that greeted him. The huge porch, the swing, all the landscaping anyone could ever want. All of it overwhelmed him. Shifting from foot to foot, he pressed the door bell. It chimed like bells in old movies, sweet long echoes.

Then the door was opened and a gorgeous woman stood there, her features like all the children rolled into one. This had to be Lily. “Mrs. Snyder? Hi, I’m Noah. We spoke on the phone?”

“Noah!” Lily’s smile lit up her face. It wasn’t quite the sunshine of Luke’s grin, but Noah couldn’t blame her. “Come in!” She opened the door wider and gestured. Looking in, Noah saw the same opulence dressed the interiors from wall to wall. In the middle, with a hand on the sofa, was a man about Lily’s age, regarding him quietly, neutrally.

Noah offered a weak smile, shaking his head. “No, that’s ok.” He took out the wallet, handing it over. “I– this was in the elevator at the Lakeview.”

“ _That’s_ where it fell!” Lily touched her forehead. “Well, thank you so much, Noah. Are you still staying at the Lakeview?”

“Not anymore,” his eyes shifted to his boots, and he swallowed. He sure hoped she never guessed what he was doing in her hotel.

“Well, then let me reimburse your stay there.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Noah shook his head, wanting nothing more than to run, just run.

“Okay…” She seemed at a loss of what to say.

The man spoke up now. “Well,” he moved forward. “How about you stay and at least join us for dinner? We have enough apple pie and pot roast. We’ve been told it’s some of the best.”

Noah’s stomach growled at that. His only meal in the last thirty-some hours didn’t seem to be enough. “No, that’s ok,” he said quickly. He knew – he knew if he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t want to leave.

But Lily heard the tell-tale grumbling. She smiled and laid a hand, gentle, on his arm. “Please. It would be our pleasure. It’s…” She started getting choked up. “It’s just… it’s good to know that there are still good people in the world.” She leaned into the man as he came up, a protective hand on her back. She wiped away a thin trail of tears. “I really needed that today. Sorry,” she waved her hand in front of her. “I’m a mess.”

Noah just shook his head. “We’re all a mess sometimes. So this must be normal.”

She laughed at that, tears bright on her cheeks. “Well, come in, sit down. I’m going to make a few calls. Dinner should be ready soon.”


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner at the Snyders was the best meal Noah had ever had in his entire life. He slipped into his usual work mode, charm glinting off his armor. “If I do the dishes, will you adopt me?” Only the little girl Natalie objected. Apparently, according to her older sister Faith, it was because it would be gross to crush on your own brother. Natalie blushed to the roots of her hair and refused to look at him the rest of the night.

The adults were a bit more distracted. Lily left the table several times to take calls from someone named Margo. Sometimes the man, Mr. Holden Snyder, would also join her. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together and figure out these calls were about Luke. Ethan’s lower lips trembled at one point as he watched his parents walk away before his vegetables and meat were separated. Noah instantly took over, sliding butter knife expertly between the two food groups. His motorcycle sounds as he did so seemed to amuse the boy. Ethan giggled, clapping his hands. Apparently dimples ran deep in this family. Noah tore his gaze away. He just hoped he wasn’t too late returning the wallet. _Help me._

Before he left the mansion, Lily slipped him her business card. “Call me, if you ever need anything.” Noah held it together until he was home, held it together until he saw the picture that still lay there on his bed, smiling, smiling. He placed the picture next to his cheek and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Days went by. Business trickled when it rained hard like this. Noah sat in the light of his tiny TV, watching over and over his little stack of classics. He knew his rent was due in a few days. He was still about a hundred short. He stared at the phone, stared out at the dark skies. Mostly he stared at the pictures – the one on his bed and the one on the screen. Pictures, he decided, were his favorite things.

When the call came, it jolted him out of his light slumber. It was an actual call, not a text, like usual. This meant new clients usually. Noah cleared his throat, slipping his voice into casually seductive mode. “Hello, you’ve reached Friday.”

“ _Friday_?” The voice at the other end laughed. “Um, sorry. I’m looking for Noah? Is this the wrong number? My mother swore this was the right number.”

Noah took a sharp breath in. _His mother? Was this? Couldn’t be._ “No, _I’m_ … Noah… Friday.” He squeezed his eyes shut. Crap. He was getting off on the wrong foot with Mr. Dimples already.

“Noah Friday? Well, Noah Friday, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for my family. I’m Luke, by the way, Luke Snyder. You found my mother’s wallet some days ago and returned it. And in the process you saved me!” Luke exclaimed. Noah could just see the dimples. “So thank you.”

“What are you talking about?” The question came out gruffer than intended. Noah took a deep breath and tried to calm his breathing.

The hesitation was slight but Noah heard it. “Um, well, funny thing. The Oakdale PD actually solved a crime!” The giggle was self conscious. Noah recognized it in many new johns. But this wasn’t a job. This was nothing but a pipe dream, a stolen picture. Surely, someone like Luke would never in a million years want anything to do with him. Still, it did something to Noah’s heart to hear Luke tripping over nerves.

Luke babbled on, unaware of Noah’s internal debate, words piling up fast as the rain outside. “Um, turned out when you came by to return the wallet, one of the people who were holding me for ransom – Zac – was right outside. Zac was distracted trying to figure out who the hell _you_ were. So the police officer guarding the house was able to step behind a bush and observe him without being observed. Officer Cohen – that’s his name – then followed him right to the locker room where I was held, and called for backup. Then Margo – the lieutenant by the way – and the whole gang bust in and arrested the bastards. It was all very Hollywood!” The winning giggles again, nervous on the other line.

“Good. I’m glad.” Noah kept his answers curt. He knew how to disengage. He hoped Luke would take a hint and wrap this up. Surely, the guy wasn’t clueless, right?

But clueless he sure seemed to be. “So, I was thinking, um, do you know where Java is? The coffee place in Old Towne?”

Noah tried to be irritated but was failing. Luke had a sweet cadence to his voice and all this nerve was making him less nervous. “Is this a trick question? Old Towne?”

“Ha ha,” Luke replied. “So um, I wanted to thank you in person. I owe you at least a tall mocha and brownies, if you like those.”

“Are you asking me out?” Noah bit his lips even as the words slipped out. What the hell was he doing? Hurriedly, he added, “Sorry, bad joke.”

“Yeah,” the laugh was laced with relief. _Of course._ “So, you’ll meet up and let me thank you? I mean, you know, say thank you?”

Noah smiled at that slip-up. “With more food?” His stomach added its opinion. “Can’t say no to that.”


	4. Chapter 4

Noah spotted him first. Up close that grin was even more devastating, even in profile. Luke gestured animatedly as he chatted with the barista. They were maybe flirting, not that Noah cared. It was none of his business. Of course Gorgeous Dimples would have suitors. And barista probably ranked higher than rentboy. Still, Luke had said something about saving his life. So maybe life saving rentboy had a fighting chance against barista. Not that he wanted a chance or to fight. He was just here for the coffee, maybe cake. Maybe.

He walked up to barista and dimples and kept his voice casual. “Hi, are you Luke Snyder?” It was so casual he might as well have been asking, “Hi, may I take your order?” “Hi, do you know what time it is?” “Hi, do you know you’re even more breathtaking in person?” Ok, so maybe not the last.

“Yes.” Luke turned to face him, “I’m Luke.” Those hazel eyes stumbled a moment on his lips then cheekbone. Then the smile darted up shy meeting his eyes. “And you must be Noah.” Those eyes lingered two beats too long, not that Noah was counting. Or cared. “Reg, meet the guy who saved my life – Mr. Noah Friday,” Luke was saying.

Reg held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Noah.” Noah returned the grip but not the empty sentiment. A wan smile was all he offered, cautious eyes. He would have much rather shook Luke’s hand. Then again, he would have much rather studied film making, too.

“So um-” Luke’s voice cut through their awkward show of hands. “What would you like, Noah? Anything you want. They have some _really_ good stuff here.” The smile brought forth those dimples again. And Noah’s gaze stayed stuck on them, “I know.” Luke blushed, ducking his head in a smile. “Their menu is up on the board there,” he pointed. Noah followed the index finger and studied the offerings. Brownies, coffeecakes, cookies in various shapes – nothing looked as good. Still, he asked for some brownies, because Luke had said he could.

When they were seated and after a few bites into the most delicious form of sugar and a few sips of the most heady of coffees, Noah thought he was maybe in heaven. “Is it ok?” Luke was asking. “Best brownie ever,” Noah said as he broke off another piece. “Thank you.”

“No! Thank _you_!” Luke’s voice rushed forth full of passion. “ _So_ much.” He looked like he was about to say more, but then at the last minute hesitated. Instead, he gestured to the sweets and asked if Noah would like more.

“You keep spoiling me like this and I’ll never want to let you go,” he said. Then realizing his mistake, he backpedaled. “I don’t mean…it’s not…” _Shit! What a thing to say someone who was just kidnapped and held for ransom._

Luke just laughed. “I know what you meant. But I meant what I said – we’ll get you a bag of those brownies since you like them so much.” Then that soft smile. Noah wanted to stay there forever.

But all too soon he was destroying the moment. “Are you ok? Did they hurt you?”

Luke’s eyes cast down on the table, his smile faltering. “Well, they shot me,” he shrugged. “But it was just on my arm. That’s why it took me so long to thank you. They just let me out of the hospital yesterday. I got restless sitting around at home so I insisted on meeting you. Did you know that Nat has a crush on you? My little sister’s first crush and it had to be…” His voice trailed off, blushing. Noah tried not to think about what might have followed. _It had to be… well, you!_

Instead, he asked, “They shot you?” A scan of the arms revealed nothing but snug sleeves. “Anything else?”

Luke pressed his lips tight together. “I don’t really want to talk about it. I mean, you know, I’m ok.” He nodded as if to convince himself. “Alive.”

“Alive is good,” Noah agreed, nodding too. That was his motto when he first hit the road. Alive was always good.

They sat a while longer, talking about nothings like rain and movies, coffees and teas. But soon both their cells rang their intrusions. Luke moved to get the bag of brownies as promised. Noah wiped his hands clean on napkins. He wanted to be ready for the handshake. He wanted a handshake. Then they can go their separate ways.

What he wasn’t prepared for was for the simple touch to feel like a lifeline, jolting their eyes each to each. Then Luke was smiling and softly folding arms around him. Noah stayed absolutely still. His body screamed in confusion. _Am I supposed to like this? Why do I like this? He smells like apple pie..._


	5. Chapter 5

Noah hadn't meant to inhale l'eau de dimples. Now the picture was really real, with a voice, texture like lightning, and a smell as well.

When they separated, Luke had said thank you again, something about saving him from a fate worse than death. And would he like to see the new Batman sometime?

Instead of answering, he had teased, "Are you asking me out again?"

"Maybe." Luke had grinned. "I don't know. You'll just have to find out." Then he had run out to the rain with his hoodie pulled up. His blue shape moved further and further into the mix of wet until Noah couldn't make out a shape anymore, just the blur of torrent, pressing pressing, washing him downstream, downstream to his job.

He bit his lips. The job had him splayed in the rain right now. The cold seeped into his skin until he could feel the freeze like ice in his veins. He tried not to shiver. That was not sexy. But then he couldn't help it and did. The john mistook the movement for enjoyment. "You like that, don't you?" And then he had pushed in harder. Noah just squeezed his eyes shut. _Just a job. Temporary. Just a job. Temporary. Batman soon..._

Batman got delayed. When Luke called him, mid-sob and hiccupping, at two one morning, Noah didn't know what to do. "I'm so sorry," Luke said over and over. "I just...there's no one else I can tell...I'm-hiccup-so-hiccup-sorry."

Noah tried to sooth him, confused and only half awake. "It's ok." He leaned his head against the wall. And looking down to his pillow, he saw the smile in the picture. "It's going to be ok. Just talk to me." But by then Luke had become silent again, no noise from his side of the phone but the occasional hiccup like exclamation marks. "...!...!..." When Luke spoke again, Noah was almost startled by the sound. He was even more startled by the words. "Can I see you? I won't make you go anywhere at this hour. But can I go to your place? I just need to talk, in person."

Noah swept his eyes around the small apartment. He had kept it neat. But there was almost nothing here but age and disrepair. The brownies were all gone by now. There was very little in the fridge. Didn't people offer guests something to drink? _“Would you like some tap water?”_ He wasn’t sure about the sound of that. But then Luke was in his ears again, voice small, "Please?"

Noah hid the picture then paced the length of his apartment. He wasn’t a pacer. At least he didn’t think he was. When he was out on the street, no apartment to his name, he had seen some of the boys literally walking the street, showing the strut of a hip, the cup of a butt. It was part for show and part for nerves. Noah never paced. He kept to his spot, calm but for the clenching and unclenching of a palm, the roving of his eyes, open, always open.

But now he was walking, window to door, wall to wall. Before his heartbeat had a chance to stabilize, there came a knock at the door, tentative, soft. Noah took a deep breath in then another before opening just a crack. Luke stood there, pale and a little unsure. They stared at each other. Luke tried to smile. He tried to smile back. They were both only mildly successful. Then Luke was speaking, his hiccups punctuating his sentences. “Hi! Can I! Come in?!”

“Well, since you’re already here,” Noah smiled tentatively and opened the door wider. Luke smiled back, ducking his head as he stepped in. Noah felt the heat as Luke passed by close. He decided to preoccupied himself with closing the door, turning the lock, breathing, breathing, breathing. The offer for water dried in his mouth. He didn’t have anything else rehearsed and goodness, Luke smelled so good, even if he did look like a half drowned puppy at the moment.

“Minimalist,” Luke remarked. He paced the studio apartment, trying not to look at the bed. But it was the only surface that he could possibly sit on. He gestured to it. “Do you mind if I-?” “No, of course not.” They sat, Luke pushing off his coat and Noah staring down too hard at his hands, fingers laced together like in a prayer.

“So…do you… want to talk about it?” Noah finally prompted, half turning his head to Luke. Luke nodded, half opening his mouth, unfurling half a vowel and sighing. Then, starting again, he mused, “You must think I’m the biggest coward in the world.” Noah smiled ruefully. _Not even close._ “Not at all,” he said. “You need an ear. I’m here.”

Luke laced his finger, mimicking Noah’s prayer hands. When the digits are secure over digits, he took a deep breath in then came out with it all. “This girl – Gia, who had called herself Zoey and pretended to be twins with her boyfriend – it was all kind of sick. Anyway, she had tied me to this pole in the middle of some old locker room. While her boyfriend was _right_ outside, she pressed up against me – _sat_ on me really – and shoved her tongue down my throat. It didn’t even matter to her that I was gay. Her hands were all over me. And then she…”Luke couldn’t continue, just blinked rapidly, getting those lashes damp.

Noah thought maybe he had a pretty good idea what came next. He did this for a living after all. But at least he knew what he was walking into every time. This was just sick. “Did she..?”

“No! Thank God,” Luke turned to Noah, eyes rounded with a bit of light. “Like I said, you saved me.” Then he hiccupped three times in a row. “!!! Thank you.” Noah placed a hand light on his back and rubbed. He had no water to offer after all. Then he felt the bed shift just the slightest under him. Luke was staring intensely at him now, eyes alternating between his lips and eyes.

Noah swallowed. All of the sudden he couldn’t breathe. And he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. Still, he didn’t move or turn away. He watched as in the slowest motion those lips moved forward, stopped, moved forward, stopped, until they landed finally on his cheek, soft and slightly wet. Noah closed his eyes. _So this was what it felt like._


	6. Chapter 6

They turned like an old musical box, hiccupping till their lips caught in the sweetest jam. One of Luke’s hands came up, tentatively cupping Noah’s cheek. It reminded Noah of smokes and candles, how one cupped one’s hand over the flame so it wouldn’t go out. He felt the flame on his cheek, burning, burning memories. This was a first he wanted to remember.

Mid-kiss, Luke hiccupped, cookies and milk, and embarrassed, tried to move away. Noah just brought his hand up, gently smoothing over back and nape, and whispered against the moist lips. “You know what they say about hiccups?” Luke barely had time to ask, “What?” Noah surprised them both with the sudden kiss, deep like canyons, grand.

When they separated at last, eyes lit to eyes, they were both breathing hard. Noah managed to breathe out, “That surprises cure them.” Luke smiled then, a real smile, dimples and all, just like the picture came to life. “I love you,” he blurted out.

Noah turned just a fraction away but Luke saw the change like an eclipse, the pages of a book flipping closed. “ _I’m_ not the one with hiccups,” Noah said too calmly, looking at the floor now, his spine stiff as plaster.

Luke bit his lips. _How had it come to this?_ “I didn’t mean…”

“Of course not,” Noah snapped. “You don’t know me. You don’t know _anything_ about me. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I didn’t _do_ anything! I didn’t ‘save you.’ So you can stop thanking me now. Thank your Gods if you believe in those. Or who was it? Officer Cohen? Thank _him_!”

Noah had hoped this was it. Luke would walk away. He would be done with this false heaven. No more hearts to break, if they were already in pieces. What he wasn’t expecting was the calm passion that brought Luke to kneel in front of him, in front of his eyes, till he couldn’t hide. “You’re right. I don’t know much about you. But I know…“ Those hands gestured calmly, “I know you are a decent guy. Not many people would have returned my mother’s wallet. At least not with the money still in it. And you comforted a virtual stranger just because he asked.” Noah tried looking away. Those eyes looked deeper than canyons. He might never climb out of this. But Luke was having none of that. A hand strayed to his chin and gently gripped the stubbles there. When Noah’s gaze turned back to his, Luke continued. “I know my little sisters and brother love you. They can’t stop talking about you. I know you appreciate food like no one I’ve ever met before. I know you make me feel like I’ve never felt about anyone before. I know you make me laugh.” There was a slight hesitation before Luke smiled and lowered his voice to a conspiratory note. “And I know you have my picture.”

Noah blushed and tried to look away again. But Luke was walking up on knees now, wedging himself between legs. Both hands cupped Noah’s face now, burning, burning. “I think you at least like me a little.”

Noah didn’t know what to say. This was all so new. Sure, he had been told he had a sweet ass, but that was miles from this. He stared back at Luke, half a blink from surrendering. “Are you always this bossy?” He asked instead.

Luke laughed then, a pure sound echoing in his ears, burning, burning. “Maybe. I don’t know. You’ll just have to find out.” Then the gaze turned serious. “I like you, Noah.” The caress on his face repeated this. _We like you, Noah._ Noah allowed himself to lean into the hands. _I like you, too._ He didn’t protest when Luke pressed closer, lips landing like stickers on his neck. _Like you. Like you. Like you a lot._

He didn’t protest when Luke, shy, slipped a trembling hand under his shirt. He laid a hand on top of Luke’s, pressing, imprinting into his heart. They climbed into his bed like performers on tightropes, simultaneously bold and so very careful. Their hearts thundered over them and their eyes locked tight. They settled close on their sides, holding onto each other. They settled on lazy hands and slow mouths, kissing, kissing, till they were both milk and cookies.

When they lay bare, chest to chest and everything aligned, Luke was the first to confess. “I’ve never done this before.” He licked his lips, trying not to come from the pure friction of rubbing against Noah. Noah didn’t want to say how many times he’d done this before and with whom. “We don’t have to do anything,” he settled on saying. “You can go to sleep if you want to.” _I don’t deserve you anyway._

“Such a gentleman,” Luke smiled as he reached out and ran a hand full through Noah’s hair. Greedy lips reached forward for another kiss. Then another. Between kisses, he confessed again. “I don’t think I can sleep when I’m so turned on like this, Noah.” Noah had no response to this, just the small groan of a lover drowning in want, in need. Tentatively, he reached out, tracing the hard outline of Luke’s need, staring at Luke all the while. The blond lashes fluttered closed and Luke threw his head back, mouth a pretty O. The flush on his cheek was angelic. Noah stroked him again, wanting for the first time to elicit more chaos, beautiful chaos.

When the third stroke brought Luke over the edge, Noah smiled in victory. He kissed Luke’s cheek sweetly as the blond shuddered through the high. Then Luke’s mouth was on his, kissing more than thanks. Noah melted into the kisses, surrendering. He tried to dodge, however, when Luke’s hand reached out for him. “But what about you?” Luke asked. “I want to. Don’t you want me to?” _So much._

“You don’t have to.” Noah said. After all, no one had ever done this to him before. It wasn’t the point of his job. It was never about him, just them. “I want to,” Luke repeated in his ear, nipping the lobe lightly so that he felt like his whole body was a tightrope, stretched, at attention. Then Luke’s hand was wrapped around him, stroking and petting. The way Luke watched him intensely as he did so brought Noah easily over the edge. He buried his face in Luke’s chest, feeling the answering thud of the heart there.

“I like you, too, Luke,” he murmured as they drifted off to sleep. He couldn’t possibly have seen Luke’s smile as he held him closer. But then again, Luke couldn’t possibly have seen his either.


	7. Chapter 7

One of their phones was ringing, perhaps both. Morning filtered in through the slant of blinds, binding them both with light. They’ve shifted through the night, like luggage. Now Noah’s belongings were spilled over Luke’s and Luke’s over his. Limbs, hair, sleep heavy muscles were all boneless, boneless in a pile. Noah had never felt like this, unwound and tight all at once. Luke was still sleeping, the rise and fall of his chest the only movement. Some of his hair was stuck to his forehead in a golden crisscross and his demanding mouth formed a slack line now. Noah thought he had never seen anything more beautiful.

Still, the phones were ringing. As lightly as he could, he untangled from Luke and sat on the side of the bed, bending to retrieve from beneath the pile of clothing their little wormholes to reality. His announced a meeting at an exec’s office: “Let’s do lunch.” He sighed. After last night, this seemed unreal. Or perhaps it was last night that was unreal. Luke’s phone was also flashing. Noah turned his head to look at Luke, but he was still asleep, hands folded close to chest, head sloped on the pillow where his picture used to sit. Noah flipped open Luke’s phone and saw two missed messages from “Mother.”

He sidestepped the dirty towels from last night and crawled back to Luke. Gently, he shook the blond on his undamaged arm. “Luke!” Luke moaned lightly and turned, but he made no move to open his eyes. Noah followed the twist of the torso down to the sheet where it settled low over Luke’s hipbones. He swallowed, felt his breath come in clutches till he had to turn away. This was entirely different from the thing he felt for Gabe and Adam before him. This was a hundred times more intense. Their first touch told him so. Their first kiss confirmed it. And then there was last night.

Noah didn’t know if he would ever recover from last night. Or even just now. He wanted to replace the cover with his mouth. He wanted to wrap them both into a movie and live in alternate reality. With Luke, he wanted what he knew he couldn’t possibly have. But then again, perhaps he had always wanted too much. His father, the Colonel Mayer, sure thought so.

Gabe and Adam were his childhood crushes, the first inkling that perhaps he wasn’t made for girlfriends, tiny wrists and soft hips. When the Colonel saw him too long in an embrace with Adam, he felt the belt on his back. “I’ll make a man of you yet,” the Colonel had said. Noah hadn’t understood. Adam was his friend. That was _all_. Then there was Gabe who had stayed in his room too long one evening. When the Colonel found them dozing side by side on the bed, not even touching, he had bellowed, forbade Gabe from ever visiting again, forbade Noah from ever having any “deviants” over ever again.

Noah lost it. He never lost it before with the Colonel. But Gabe – sweet Gabe whom he had developed a crush on – Gabe didn’t deserve any of those words the Colonel were calling him. And Gabe was running away and he was probably never going to see him again, never going to work up the nerve to brush up against him by mistake or just lie quietly side by side with him. Or talk about movies with him or anything.

In a flash, the floodgate of rebellion had crashed open in him. He had said things like he wished it was his father who died instead of his mother. He wished to be anywhere but on this endless trip of hell around the world, never staying, always leaving. And then he had said the worst thing he could have possibly said to the Colonel. “I’m not a pervert or a deviant but I do like Gabe. I like him a lot. And I think he likes me too.” The colonel had narrowed his eyes. “Why you ungrateful little…” Insults rained on his head.

In the end, he had taken the whipping and not cried. He wasn’t going to give the Colonel that satisfaction. No sir. And then he had plotted his escape. He figured anything else would be better than this life of denial, hiding, hiding till he ceased to exist. He just wasn’t prepared for the reality. No one would hire him. He was too young, too scrawny. Shouldn’t he be in school? Perhaps he was just there to steal. Where were his parents anyway? Get out. Get out. So Noah had ended up on the streets. The first stray he befriended told him with his looks he could have a job in a few hours. Noah was starving by then. He dared not seek shelters. The Colonel would find him.

Then he had come up with his street name, with a whole life of lies. Mostly he just stayed quiet. His fake ID said he was Friday Wilson, Wilson after his deceased mother, and Friday for himself. The Colonel was less likely to find him this way. So far he had succeeded in the evasion. What he hadn’t succeeded yet was escaping his new life.

When Noah felt the arms around him, softly yanking him back to the present, he smiled, half turning, “You’re up.” Luke kissed him on his ear, “You can say that.” The sultry breath made goose bumps break out all over Noah. It didn’t help that Luke was wrapping his legs around him and licking a slow line from ear to jaw. “Luke…” Noah extracted himself from the embrace and felt Luke freeze behind him.

“You regret it, don’t you?” Luke’s voice was small. “You were just comforting me because I was a mess. I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot.” In a rush, the blond was getting off the bed and gathering up pieces of his clothes. “I shouldn’t have called. Or came over. Or kissed you. Or came on you. Or stayed. Or fallen asleep. Or-”

Noah sat on the bed slightly disoriented. It felt like a hummingbird had just zipped by his head and was now performing cartwheels in the air. “Wait,” he stood up and gripped onto Luke’s wrists. “Luke, slow down. I don’t regret it. It’s just…you should call your mother. She’s been calling you all morning.”

The blond stopped and stared at him, eyes like wounds bright in this light. Noah leaned down slowly and placed a kiss light on the pout. “I don’t regret it at all,” he reassured him. “Call her. I’m going to go take a shower.” Luke smiled a little then and nodded.

In the shower, Noah massaged in shampoo and was just rinsing when he heard the clink of the curtain being pulled aside. Instantly, he froze, remembering how the first job when he thought it was all over and was showering and trying not to cry, the john and had stepped in and the nightmare had begun all over again.

But instead of a rough hand between his shoulder blades pushing him to the tiles, he felt a soft palm on his shoulder. “Hey,” Luke was saying. “Hey, are you ok? Noah?” Noah relaxed then and started moving hands through his hair again. “Yeah,” he said, letting the sting of the shampoo crease along his eyelids to excuse him for the tears. “Yeah.” Luke didn’t say a word, just wrapped him in a silent hug. For a long time, they stood there in the trickle, letting the water wash clean over them.


	8. Chapter 8

Standing in the shower with Luke, Noah felt a sense of calm that he hadn’t felt with anyone anywhere in years. Maybe ever. Luke’s arms around him felt like a lifesaver. Noah could float there forever, except the water was running cold. He turned in the embrace and held Luke’s face close for a kiss. Luke returned it easily, so easily that Noah felt himself drowning in this giving. He reached out a little further, sliding his hands greedy along spine. Luke responded like light to switch.

The innocence of it overwhelmed Noah. He hesitated with palms low on Luke’s back and pulled away reluctantly from the kiss. They looked at each other under waterlogged lashes. “You’ve really never done any of this before, have you?” Noah asked in wonder. Luke’s tongue darted out shy to lick away the nerves. “Is that a problem?”

Noah could only shake his head. “The only problem is the water. It’s freezing! And getting your bandage wet. Let’s get out of here.” They hurried to dry off, and bundling themselves in towels moved back to the bed. They fell easily this time, mouth melding onto mouth. “What about your mother?” Noah blurted out when he felt Luke’s hand pushing his towel aside.

Luke propped up on an elbow. “Are you seriously asking me about my mother when I’m about to go down on you?” Noah’s head snapped up just in time to catch the impish grin disappearing low on his hips. “Luke…you don’t have to.” But Noah was but breathing on half a tank of air by then.

Luke’s hands settled over him, at once demanding and loving. Smooth along palms and rough around fingertips, they felt like gravel and weightless sky. Noah surrendered to the ministrations. Luke started like last night, wrapping a hand firm around him. Then he felt the tongue, hot cave descending, and forgot all about mothers and phone calls, bills and names. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Nothing _was_ the same when he felt Luke sliding up next to him again. “Was that ok?” Luke petted his hair back. Noah wanted to weep for the care, for the giving. “You’re going to kill me, Snyder,” he settled on saying. “Like, with orgasms?” Luke was asking. “Like with orgasms,” Noah echoed, a light smile on his face. _Like with love._

He loved his way down Luke’s body, really looking for the first time, eyes open on the present instead of the future. _This this this._ This was all he could handle for now. He cataloged every arch of Luke, every helpless gesture of hands, fingers clutching tight to the sheets, to his hair till he thought maybe he was the one killing Luke. Like with orgasms. Luke looked like a ragdoll afterwards, flushed and limp, perfect.

They lay side by side with their hands overlapped. Eventually, Luke stirred. “I wish we could just stay here all day.” Noah traced a finger light on Luke’s arm. “Same here.” They gravitated once more, like moth to light, burning, burning till their whole bodies tingled.

“I have to go,” Luke sighed against his lips as they broke for air. “My mother and I have to do lunch with this new partner for my foundation.” Hands soothed over Noah’s hair. “I wish I didn’t have to go.”

Noah tried to smile, but it felt like goodbye. Was this it? He petted hands down Luke’s chest. “Same here.”

Eventually they made it off the bed. Luke shifted through the small stack of clothing in Noah's possession. When he landed on a dark blue tee, he held it up. "Is it ok if I borrow this one?"

Noah tried not to smile. That tee was his favorite, the one he wore on brownie day. Now two of his favorites were pressed together in the middle of his apartment. "I'm never going to see that shirt again, am I?" _I'm never going to see you again, am I?_

"Oh, you'll see it again," Luke plopped down on the bed and stretched his arms through the sleeves. Noah tried not to stare at the motion causing commotion in his chest and managed to look away just in time. The afterimage of Luke's wet strands darkening the edge of the collar burned into memory. That mouth was still working, "If you see the new Batman with me on Saturday. And yes, before you ask, I _am_ asking you out." The shy blush returned and then Luke was babbling, picking at an imaginary scab on his neck. “I noticed you have a stack of movies there in the corner. So you must like movies, right?”

Noah closed his hand over Luke's nervous one. "I love movies,” he said. “I want to make them when I grow up. And since you’re asking me out, I wouldn't miss it for the world." When he bent to seal their date with a kiss, Luke jumped up. "Gotta save something to look forward to," he explained.

Noah just looked to Luke and then to the bed and back to Luke again. One of his eyebrows arched in question.

"That-that was before we were dating!" Luke gestured to some invisible time machine, bending back its hands. “That doesn't count!”

Noah just stared incredulously. Was this man real? Could he keep him? Keeping his tone light, he teased, "So you're just going to make me earn brownie points all over again?"

Luke grinned. “I’ll make it fun.” He leaned forward, kissing Noah’s cheek at the edge of lips, “I promise.” Promises had never sounded so good.


	9. Chapter 9

With one last squeeze of hands, they left for lunch appointments, Luke's with his mother and Noah's with his client. As far as Noah was concerned this day couldn’t have started out better with the shower, Luke, the bed, Luke, the shirt, Luke. Reluctantly, he dug out his only suit and tie, and put on his well worn boots. They would have to do. There was no way the rest of the day would live up to these morning hours anyway. He ducked his head and walked, walked to work.

In the hotel elevator, he had no choice but to check out his reflection. Mirrors, mirrors covered the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. Noah wished he wasn’t too old for fairytales, but he was almost twenty-one. He had just made love for the very first time this morning, and yet now he was on route to service one Mr. Ladell. At least this generous elder gentleman sometimes made their lunch appointments strictly lunch. He seemed to enjoy watching Noah eat. Noah liked those appointments much better than the other kind. Today he was hoping for food. His stomach rumbled after the tumbles he’d had last night and this morning with Luke.

 _Luke._ Noah smiled to himself again. He just had to make it to Saturday. Then it was Batman and Luke, blue tees and brownie points.

“Noah!” “Friday!” Two familiar voices rang out at once. Noah froze, hands on the rails in the elevator. Luke and Mr. Ladell were both staring at him and then at each other. Noah swallowed. He must have been praying to the wrong godmother. “Hi, I hope I’m not too late?” He stepped out, standing between the two men, speaking to no one in particular, speaking perhaps to his shoes.

“Did he just call you Noah?” Mr. Ladell inquired, a frown beginning to form between eyebrows.

“Oh, middle name,” Noah covered easily, smiling at his client. He was too afraid to look at Luke, Luke with his blue shirt under that jacket, Luke with eyes like radar. Then he heard Luke speaking. “So, Mr. Ladell, I thought your _friend_ would be much older.” Noah closed his eyes. _Come on, fairy godmother._

As if summoned, Lily’s voice appeared from the hallway. “Sorry for the wait. The line to the lady’s room –“ She waved her hands through the air. Then spotting him, she beamed. “Noah! Hi!” Her arms wrapped easily around him. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Small world,” she marveled.

Noah could only nod, swallow, nod, try to smile. “Mrs. Snyder.” He couldn’t seem to muster more than the basics with Luke so close, watching, thinking. “Looks like we’re all introduced,” remarked Ladell. “Shall we start?” Noah shifted from foot to foot, trying not to look at anyone, especially Luke. That whole side of his body burned. Then Lily made things harder by moving to take Mr. Ladell’s arm and walking towards the restaurant. That meant Noah had to walk with Luke, their stunned silence trailing close behind the friendly chatter.

“Middle name?” Luke finally managed to ask as reservations were checked. Noah could only shake his head lightly. “I can explain. Later.” But Luke had withdrawn completely, arms crossed over chest. Noah wondered if this was it. If only they had stayed in bed all day. He took his seat between Mr. Ladell and Luke and tried to breathe, tried to ignore the fact that Luke’s thighs were too far away from his and Mr. Ladell’s were too close.

As lunch progressed, it became painfully clear to Noah just how accomplished Luke was with his new foundation. He spoke passionately and convincingly. Noah had never seen anything like it. If he hadn’t already fallen for him, he would have then. Mr. Ladell certainly seemed taken with Luke as well. From the way he smacked his lips after soup, Noah knew the deal was made. He smiled when he heard his hunch confirmed. He was so proud, so proud of Luke.

After lunch, Mr. Ladell had him stay and have coffee with him. They talked films as they often did. It was a shared passion and something that made him one of Noah’s favorite clients. But today Noah was anxious to leave. The suit as always felt too big on his frame. And anyway, he wanted to go back to bed, exalt in its afterimages, its aftershapes, and try to forget this lunch. He almost jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. “I don’t believe it. My Friday finally found his prince.” Noah shook his head. “I…prince?” But the man just chuckled. “Oh, you could cut that tension between you and little Snyder with an army knife! I’m just old, Friday. Not blind. Good for you.”

Noah wasn’t sure if any of this was any good. He finally made it back to the bed and sank into its boneless plane. It still smelled like Luke, still cookies and milk and everything pure. Noah sighed. There was no way out of this. No way at all. At least they had this morning and last night. Only, now they may never be enough.

The knock came sooner than he expected. Five PM. He was dragging feet to make himself a little macaroni and cheese. No point in working if he didn’t eat. The knock came in series of threes. Thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump. “Noah? Noah, I can hear you in there. Open the door.”

Noah put his hand on the knob then took his hand off the knob. With head heavy against the door, he said just loud enough, “No.”

The knocking stopped for a minute then resumed louder. The voice was louder too. “What do you mean no? We need to talk!”

Noah had heard about the phrase “we need to talk.” It was never a good thing. He opened the door just a crack. “I mean it - no.”

“FYI, your door is open,” Luke informed him. “And oh, by the way, who exactly _are_ you to Mr. Ladell? When he said his good _friend_ was coming to lunch, I never in a million years thought it’d be _you_. How do you know him anyway? And is Noah really your middle name? So what’s your first? It can’t be Friday if that’s your last. Unless that’s not your last and-”

“Luke!” Noah had to stop this train of questions, perhaps stop everything. “Can you just stop talking for a second? My dinner’s burning.” He stepped inside, knowing Luke would follow. When he heard the door close, he knew what he had to do. He said a little prayer over the bubbling goo.


	10. Chapter 10

When Noah turned around, the first thing he noticed was his blue shirt on Luke. How appropriate he thought. Blue was how he felt right now. That canyon he had fallen into last night? He was just feeling the bruise now. Apparently it was a hard fall. Noah took a deep breath. It had to be done. He could see the tick in Luke’s neck, the swivel of eyeballs in their sockets, churning, turning him over. Any moment now they were going to bubble over, with anger, disappointment, possibly hate. Perhaps the last was best.

Noah swallowed. Now or never. He walked around to the window, turning his back to Luke. Those eyes said too much. He couldn’t listen to them now, not if he wanted to confess. Forehead to glass, he finally spoke. “My name is Noah Mayer. At the agency and on the street, even to my landlord, I’m known as Friday Wilson.”

“Why? What agency?” Luke began and Noah had to stop him. “Please? Just let me finish?” He waited until the blond was silent, then he started again. “I ran away from home three years ago. My father’s in the army, a Colonel. Very strict. He tried to beat the gay out of me. But, obviously, that didn’t work.” He traced a finger down the glass, down his dirty reflection staring back. _Mirror, mirror, do you work at all?_

“I ran away, made up a new identity. Friday is what my clients call me. Mr. Ladell? A client. He hired me from the escort agency. He likes to have someone he knows in these first meetings, and I think he just likes me in general, because he’s a film buff too. So that’s why I was there. But I’m glad I was.” His heart pounded out its rebuff. _Liar, liar, pants on fire._ “Now you know, you can go.” His fingernail dug hard into the glass till he imagined a thin crack forming across the pane.

“You can go?” The voice echoing back to him sounded so far away. Then it advanced much, much nearer, booming in his ears. “Now you can go?! Fuck you, Noah!”

“You’ve got to pay for that,” Noah chewed on his lips, trying to keep from taking it all back. It would have been much easier if Luke had left, slammed the door behind him. Anything would have been better than Luke advancing behind him now, solid walls of heat.

“Oh, I’ve already paid for it,” Luke spat out. “With my heart. You think I just throw myself at random men? I fell for you, Noah! After the nightmare of Gia, I thought…I thought…” Whatever words he was going to say got choked back, reined into a sigh. “You know what? This is stupid. _You_ are stupid!”

Noah couldn’t listen to any of this anymore. He turned around, digging nails into palms now. “Get out, Luke. Get. _Out._ I may be poor and I may be so many rungs below you in the social ladder that you need a binocular to make out the color of my hair. But I am _not_ going to stand here and let you abuse me in my own apartment. Stupid? You want to talk about stupid? That would be _you_ , Snyder. I’m trying to save you here. For real this time. Luke, you’re headed for big things, _great_ things! I can’t feature in any of them. Can’t you see that? Can’t you just…”

But he didn’t have a chance to finish. Luke’s lips were on his now, crashing down hard. He felt the nip of teeth at the edge of lips and then the sooth of tongue. Hands were holding fast to him, tugging him infinitely deeper into this heaven, into this hell. He tasted it – the salt sliding sly into their mouths and tongues until they were fused together, salt to salt.

Noah finally tore himself away. His fingers were half bruised from the glass and half bruised from Luke’s jacket. He wasn’t sure if he was hanging on or holding off. Right now they felt about the same. “What are you doing?” His forehead grounded into Luke’s, its warmth his fever.

“If you have to ask, I’m doing it wrong,” Luke’s fingers strayed from cheeks to neck to shoulders, from there to chest to all the nerves endings he didn’t know he had, caressing, caressing all the while. Those fingers worked their way down to the hem of his shirt and under. Noah wanted to give in, wanted to sink into all of this. But all he could think to do was to grab Luke’s hands in his. “Luke, we can’t…” But Luke wouldn’t let him talk. Those lips settled over his again, kissing like their lives depended on it.

Noah knew this scene. He had played it in his head a thousand times. This character rushing forth full of passion that nothing could be denied him. He couldn’t deny Luke now, couldn’t deny the warm breath fanning over his mouth and dipping down so deep he felt it in the curl of his toes. “Why are you doing this?” He asked when they finally pulled apart, gasp to thundering gasp.

“Why else?” Luke shook him a little. “Noah, anyone else would have taken the money and ran. But not you. You just took my picture.” A light smile graced Luke’s face then. “You are the most incredible guy I’ve ever met. You want me to save me, for real? Then give me a shot.”

Noah shook his head, taking a step back and bumped his calves against the bed. He swallowed, staring at some invisible escape button on Luke’s chest. “I _can’t_. Haven’t you been listening? I’m an escort, a rentboy.”

But Luke was advancing on him, pressing chest to chest. “You _were_ an escort, a rentboy,” he petted Noah’s hair, soothing down the strands.

But Noah was frowning, half grinding his teeth. “Last time I checked, that was my only job. I have _nothing_ to offer you, Luke.”

Luke sighed and plopped down on the bed. One hand came up to his mouth and he bit down on the thumb. “You want to know something, Noah? Today was the first time I’ve done anything worthwhile in a long time. And I’m not even talking about this morning. I’ve –”

The thumb stuck out then, in a count. “I’ve once pushed my mother down the stairs to her coma just because I’d believed my bio-dad about her wanting to send me to a ‘de-gaying’ camp. I’ve been expelled from Oakdale U for stuffing the ballot box during the student president campaign. I’ve drank till my kidney – the transplanted one – acted up again. I was so messed up I kissed my grandmother’s new husband back. Long story – she had cancer. He was in the closet. I didn’t want to hurt her more. And then there was Gia and my nightmares. So whatever perfect vision you have of me, it’s wrong. I need you, Noah. You make me want to do better.”

Noah sat down then, hand tentatively out to cup Luke’s cheek. “You still can’t date a rentboy, Luke. I want …” He stopped to lick back the gush. “I want _you_ ,” he said simply, rubbing thumb full against Luke’s bottom lips. “You know that. But I also wanted to study film making and become a director some day. We don’t always get what we want.”

“Not if we don’t try,” Luke insisted. “You can make love to me right now. Right now, you can have me. You know that.” Noah groaned. Luke’s eyes were too close, too brown, too ringed with want and light with hope. “And I can get you an interview at the TV station. They need interns. I know because I’ve interned with them last summer. I can recommend you. I mean, you might end up stapling scripts to start but it’ll be a start.”

Noah felt his heart thump hard against chest. A job at a TV station? It was only his dream. “You’re talking like I already have the job.”

“Noah, you’re passionate about this. They will see that. Right now you barely make enough to eat and you have a stack of movies by your bed, hardly anything else.” Luke pointed out.

Noah shrugged. “So? Maybe I stole them.”

“Right. And then you returned like five grand to a total stranger.” Luke smiled then, knowing Noah was inches from giving in. “How about… you agree to the interview and I agree to get naked within the next five minutes?”

Noah swallowed, watching as Luke slowly thumbed his coat out of the way. “You’re killing me, Luke.”

But the blond offered nothing but a teasing grin. “Not yet, Mayer. _Soon._ ”


	11. Chapter 11

The kiss pressing them both to bed, sprawled in want, was enough of an answer. But Noah didn’t stop there. _Yes, thank you. Yes, thank you._ He said over and over in the swirl of tongue, the tease of teeth, in the press of hands grateful, in the flex of legs needy. Their dialogue disintegrated to monosyllabic. _Now. More. There. Yes. Nnng. Right there._ Then nothing more than the hum of the AC wrapping them in its cocoon.

“That was…” Luke finally found his voice. “…Saturday,” Noah finished. He stole another kiss before elaborating. “As in, after Friday. As in, never again Friday. As in…”

“I love you,” Luke interrupted, eyes a pretty flash of emerald. “I’m so in love with you, Noah. And you don’t – you don’t have to say it back. But I do. Have to say it. I love you.” The shy cast of lashes up after his confession stole Noah’s heart all over again. _How was this man real? Can he please keep him?_ He placed a hand over Luke’s chest, softly petting. “Luke,” he tried to swallow down years of cultivated nerves around that foreign word, love. “Same here,” he settled on saying. And for the moment it was good enough. It was more than good enough. Luke’s arms wrapped tight around him, so tight he felt Luke’s smile breaking like dawn against his heart.

Dawn next day saw him readying for his interview at WOAK, the local TV station. Luke had managed to talk to a Mrs. Kim Hughes, the co-owner and apparently overseer of all interns. Noah was to meet her at 7 AM sharp. Noah could do punctual. In fact, he could do forty five minutes before punctual.

That was how he ended up running into a Brad Snyder. “Here,” the brusque man thrust a video camera in his hands. “Hold this.” Bewildered, Noah held onto the equipment for dear life. “Um, what am I supposed to do with this?”

“Just hold still?” Brad popped his head around, still primping. “I need to do a run-through. I was supposed to do that with Jim earlier this morning but Vienna had morning sickness and Katie insisted on staying through the puking. And then we had to deal with _Henry_ , you know?” Noah didn’t know, hadn’t a clue who any of those people were, but he stayed quiet as Brad continued his rant. “Ugh! And now Jim’s gone who knows where. So kid, just hold still, ok?”

Noah nodded and held on, fascinated as Brad began his rehearsal for the morning segment. Unable to help himself, Noah turned a few knobs, changing the focus of the lens to capture some of the goofiest expressions he had ever seen at zit level. _Who knew a job could be fun?_

He was thus occupied when a white haired woman walked in, authority in every move. “Are you Noah Mayer?” She asked. When his head snapped up, eyes big with worry, she smiled reassuringly. “I see you’ve already started! If only all of my employees had that much initiative!” She looked pointedly at Brad. “Come with me, Noah.” Brad sputtered behind them.

Brad was still struggling with his run-through when Noah re-emerged from Mrs. Hughes' office with a new job. “Here, I can hold that. I work here now,” Noah beamed. Brad rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just hold still. Ok, ready?”

Noah was more than ready when Saturday rolled around. It was finally Batman night. He brought the popcorn and clasped Luke’s hand through to the closing credits. In the theatre shadows, their fingers interlaced in a circular dance. _I love you. I love you more._ In the parking lot, Noah leaned Luke against the car and whispered low, “Do I get that kiss now?”

Luke’s hands danced up his back in an answer, pressing Noah’s lips sweet down to his. This, Noah thought, this is what he wanted for forever, Luke and Saturdays.

 

~ The End ~


End file.
